Session #9 - Boat Fishing Trip with Dad

We headed to Itchenor for an 8AM meet on Tempus Fuget with skipper Dale. We had a prompt start and headed out of the harbour and sat in Hayling Bay between the entrances and sand banks for Chichester Harbour and Langstone Harbour. We got given the gear on board and set to work with Rag and Squid as bait.

Shortly after starting Dad hit into a fish and pulled it up and with a nice surprise, it was a Thornback Ray.

The best I managed was a few hungry stones... A while after dad hooked into his next fish of the day in the same area, a Dogfish.

We stayed here a while longer and the headed out to an area where we would drift over waters climbing from 65ft to 40ft or so. We had to keep the lead just off the bottom, but close as possible still. I managed to pull up a tiny Whitting, about 5 inches long. That was returned very quickly and so no photo of the fish, but the colours were very very good. In quite quick succession Dad pulled up a Ballan Wrasse and that was returned to the water quite quickly after a picture.

For our last part of the day Dale took us to a deep hole for us to go for something a bit bigger. So on with thicker traces and heavier leads. We dropped them over the side and waited. I hooked into another Whitting, but it was still too small really to keep.

Where'd it go???

The poor thing leapt for freedom only to hit the bottom of the boat and concuss itself.

There it is...

We popped it back in the water and it took nearly 2 minutes for it to kick into life and swim under before the gulls got to it. Dale pulled up a small Pout with lovely markings and colours and sent that back to the water.

Dad hit into another fish and Dale got very excited when he saw it come up. He shouted "don't try to lift that bloody rod..." and ran for a net. He got the fish in and was very excited...

A Turbot...

 It turned out that this was the first to be landed on the boat. And that the skipper had never caught one before. It also turned out that all the local skippers have a species competition and this was a rare bonus point. Dale took a few photos of Dad and the fish for his records. The fish was then sent back to the sea.

The wind started picking up and a fog bank started to hide the Isle of Wight, then the Nab Tower and then headed for us. Not long before we packed up, Dads rod bent in half and seemed to drag him along the boat and then it was loose. Dad seems to think it was a fish, all I can say is, if it was then it was pretty blooming' big...

The Winner Bank

We headed back to Itchenor, paid up and said thanks and headed home.

All in all it was disappointing we didn't get anything for the freezer, but we both had a great day out and caught 6 species. The winter has had a toll on the fishing and the fish are returning later than normal. There is always next time.

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Tempus Fugit